Devices for retaining lubricant in car axle bearings



. July 21, 1959 w. H. SALE DEVICES FOR RETAINING LUBRICANT IN CAR AXLE BEARINGS Filed Feb( 6, 1957 United States Patent C Wlliaml. Sale, Sandtqn, Na., aignor to Klasi ng Hand Brlie'Co.,`Joliet,`Ill. a corporation of Illinois Application :February 6, 1957, Serial No. 633 522 1 (CL 2 .175),

The invention relates to devices for retaining lubricant in journal boxes for car-axles.

One object of the invention is to provide an efiicient device for retaining or sealing lubricant in the journal box against escape from the opening in the back-wall for the car-axle.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is insertable into the journal box through the 'usual front opening which provides access to the well in the journal box.

Other objects will appear from the detail description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by the claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a journal box for a car-axle equipped with' the improved lubricantretaining or scaling device;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section perspective view of the scaling device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the brackets on the sealing device for retaining the elastc seal in operative position against the back-wall of the journal box; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

The invention is exemplified in a journal box or housing, generally designated 6 for the journal 7 of a railway car-axle 8, a hearing block 9 and a wedge 10, which may be of standard Construction. Housing or box 6 comprises vertical side-Walls 11, a round bottom-wall 12 which forms a well 12a for retaining lubricant, a frontwall provided with an access-opening 13, usually closed by a lid (not shown), a back-wall 14 and a top-wall 15. The usual dust-guard well 16 is formed between backwall 14 and a wall 17. The wedge and hearing-block 9 are confined and slidable transversely between hollow ribs 18 on the side-Walls 11. Any suitable means may be used for feeding lubricant from the well 12a to the under side of the journal 7 of the axle, such, for example, as the device disclosed in my application Serial No. 556,949, filed January 3, 1956. Walls 14 and 17 are provided with openings 19 through which the axle 8 extends into the housing and under the hearing-block 9. The axle may be stepped at 20 inside of the housing. The housing has integral hollow longitudinal ribs or flanges 21 on the inner face of side-Walls 11 and spaced forwardly from the back-wall 14. The block 9 and wedge 10 are confined transversely by ribs 21, as well understood in the art.

The seal, generally designated 22, between the axle 'and the back-wall 14 for retaining lubricant in well 12a of the housing is formed of elastic material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, and comprises a panel or flatwall 23 which has its lower edge 24 curved comformably to the curved bottom-wall 12 of well 12a, side-edges 25 conformng to the straight portions of the side-Walls 11 '2,895,749 .Patantd Ji ?1, &

ice

anda straight top edge 26 conforming to the top-wall IS of housing 14. "The lowercurved edge 24,' sidedges 25 and top-edge 26 'are ptdy ded withjintegral forjvardly extending flanges 27 which ai-e tapfered in cross-section and normally fl f w ly, T ln fly XC pressure against the surroundinginner 'faces f the hfl ing when the seal is confined thereip. 'Ihe baek-'facebf the panel or flat-wall' 23 q'ftthe' ea'l`22 snujgly 'against the front-face' of backwall 14, and the ,central afaof .wall 23 is provided a ctcul 'gSO through w h h l .i fl nse a gt be .S ."'Th 30 fits around nie-.axle and' i s`surfdurid`e'i by a rib 3I` angular cross-section projecting from the front-face of panel 23, a rearwardly extending V-shaped rib 32 and a cylindrical surface 33 between said ribs. The panel 23 and flanges 27 are provided with notches 32 to straddle the longitudinal ribs 21 on the side-Walls 11 of the housing.

The seal 22 is provided with retaining brackets 34 which are adapted to extend between the back-face of ribs 18 on the inner sides of housing 6 and the panel 23 of seal 22 for securing the panel 23 of the seal into tight relation with the front-face of back wall 14 of the housing. These brackets 34 are formed of sheet metal and each include a base 35 which is riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to the front face of the panel 23 of the seal, an integral arm 36 of angular cross-section and a front-face 37 adapted to abut against the back of a rib 18 on the housing. The flanges 27 are normally flared toward the front of the box and resilient so they will be contracted toward the center of the housing when the seal is confined in the housing to insure a tight fit between the edges of the seal and the surrounding and confining inner faces on the housing. In this manner, the marginal flanges of the seal are under pressure against the contiguous faces of the housing and panel 23 of the seal fits against and is held against the front-face of back-wall 14 for closing the gap between the stepped portion 20 of the axle and the opening 19 in said back-wall. The ribs 31 and 32 also reinforce the seal around the axle, and the cylindrical surface 33 will fit around and form a seal around the stepped portion 20 of the axle. This seal thus efl'ciently prevents escape of lubricant from the revolving axle through the rear end of the housing. In installing the seal, the journal box is lifted and the wedge 10' and block 9 are removed through the opening 13 from the box and axle.

When the journal box, after the wedge 11 and block 9 are removed, is raised relatively to the axle, the seal is insertable into its operative position through the front opening 13 of the housing. The elastcity in the panel 23 permits the brackets 34 to be yieldingly pressed together and manipulated so the seal can pass through front open ing 13 to the back of the ribs 18 while the opening 30 in panel 23 pe'mits the seal to pass rearwardly along the axle until said wall is firmly seated against the front face of wall 14 and the inner angle of rib 32 engages the step 20 on axle 7. During this insertion, the flared flanges 27 will be contracted and expanded to fit snugly against the inner faces of the housing. When the brackets 34 and the panel 23 of the seal are confined between ribs 18 on the back-wall 14 of the housing, the wall 23 of the seal will be securely confined against displacement from the back of the housing. During relative vertical movement of the housing and axle, the step 20 on the axle will engage the elastic periphery 33 of the opening in the seal to maintaincontact between the axle and the seal.

The seal is eficient in operation, simple in construction, insertable into the housing while the axle is held therein, and can be produced at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within 3 the scope of the'ppended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I A device for retaining oil in 'housing which encloses the front end of a railway-car ax'le and a hearing for the axle and comprses walls surrounding the axle and bearing, a front provided with an opening for access to the inside of the housing, a back wall provided with an opening through which the axle extends, and an oil well under the axle and between said front and said reat wall, said device comprising a panel of elastic material fofretaining oil in 'the well and preventng its flow through the back wall, disposed against-and lapping the front face of said back wall, provided with an opening therein having a sealing engagement with the axle, and also provided with forwardly extending marginal flanges conforming to and having sealing engagem'nt with the inside face of the walls of the housing surrounding the axle, and means for releasably retaining the panel in its operative position in the housing, said devce being flexible for insertion into and removal from the housing, through the opening in the front of the housing when hearing is removed from the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

